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Tuning In or Tuning Out?

Yesterday, I spoke with a civic-minded friend who is no longer following the news. He lets his spouse fill him in when something big happens. Post election, my friend found himself spending hours a day consumed with politics, and it was taking a toll on his work and well being. I understand this completely. I walk around enraged and distracted, but I can’t look away. How are you handling the consumption of current events?

Illustration by Marc Johns

Discussion

14 comments for “Tuning In or Tuning Out?”

  1. Len says:

    Haven’t stopped following the news completely, but cut way back. I take a quick peek, like watching a scary movie, trying to avoid seeing the really bad parts. Even The Daily Show sometimes gets to me.

    It helps to remind myself that I’m far from alone in this (misery loves company, y’know).

    That, plus this:
    https://www.facebook.com/berkeleybreathed/timeline?ref=page_internal&_fb_noscript=1
    (The latest incarnation of the brilliant “Bloom County”.)

    • wendy says:

      You have lots of company, Len. And thanks for the link!

      • Len says:

        Wendy, being a dog lover, you’d love his story line from last Christmas. It should still be among the old posts. It’s hilarious, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. As I said above…brilliant.

  2. Karen says:

    The balance between being informed and inundated is still a struggle. Mostly because–Trump and his regime are doing such dastardly and awful things, and getting away with them, that it is hard to want to keep reading. I am just reaching the point of–what is the point of investigative journalism in a world where people (as John Oliver put it) think the Russian collusion issue is a partisan issue.

    sigh.

  3. Grace says:

    I came across this guy’s amazing satiric videos today. They lifted my spirits at just the right time: https://youtu.be/EYgi5MyMqCs

    • wendy says:

      Thanks, Claire. I hadn’t seen them before. They’re so well produced. These days, I need my spirits lifted and lifted and lifted.

  4. Dee says:

    I have cut way back on news consumption. I think the wheels are turning (slowly) to take action on this Russian stuff. Like Wendy, I’m taking a longer view and if nothing else I am comforted by the fact that he can’t be president forever. But I’d hate to look up and be in my late 40s and he’s still in office (I’m 39 now). Now that’s truly horrifying.

    • wendy says:

      Here’s to the wheels turning…

      • Len says:

        At the risk of lowering myself to the orange one’s level, whenever I hear of truly unsavory people at each others’ throats (like I’m reading about…oh…every day now), I think of a line Groucho Marx delivered Animal Crackers: “Leave ’em alone…maybe they’ll exterminate each other.”

        And speaking of said unsavory people, when the current White House communications director’s name is mentioned, does anyone else mentally tack on the words, “Can you do the fandango”? Yes, it’s juvenile, but I’ve got to find something to laugh about in this.

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